It’s not entirely certain that different production techniques are at the base of this etymological explanation. Montilla Moriles, which was known for a lighter style of wines at the time. The term Amontillado is often explained as ‘in the style of Montilla’, referring to the neighbouring D.O. However their delicate character meant they were not suited for transportation and were mostly consumed locally. The pale dry sherries (matured under flor) originated in Sanlúcar as Manzanilla in the early 19th century and the techniques were copied by bodegas in Jerez in the 1840s, creating the first Fino wines. In the 19th century ‘sherry’ would have been considered a brown, sweet Oloroso type by the general public. This seems strange as Amontillado is in fact a sub-type of sherry, but let’s not forget that our current-day classification of sherry wines is fairly recent. Fortunato comments on another nobleman that he isn’t able to distinguish Amontillado from sherry. The fact that a cask of Amontillado plays a key role makes it interesting for sherry lovers as well, although at first sight you would be tempted to question Poe’s wine knowledge. The setting (an underground cellar), the time (carnival), the metaphors of colour (a black silk mask and a motley-coloured costume) and the subtle foreshadowing of the murder ( I shall not die of a cough) makes this an interesting, classic short story. It is told by the murderer fifty years after committing the crime, making most of the narrator’s claims a little unreliable – in the end it is a tale of subjective interpretation. It is a murder story, but not a whodunit. He wants his opinion on the wine, because he has his doubts about the quality.

He decides to use Fortunato’s love for wine against him, and lures him into his cellar where he supposedly keeps a pipe of what passes for Amontillado. It is set in an unnamed city in Italy, during the carnival and tells the story of Montresor, who seeks revenge on Fortunato, a fellow nobleman who insulted him several times. The Cask of Amontillado is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, first published in November 1846.

The cask of amontillado plot summary